


Jet Pack Blues

by lucky_vortex



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Humor, F/M, Gen, Slice of Life, because reasons, i mean we're talking teenagers u bet ur sweet ass they're gonna be a bit angsty, luke is bi, not as dramatic as it sounds, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-14 00:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5723131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucky_vortex/pseuds/lucky_vortex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three people's lives become irreversibly intertwined after an after school detention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - The Road Outside My House Is Paved With Good Intentions

**Author's Note:**

> detention set up is mostly based off vague memories of the breakfast club so beware

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> detention and arguments

  Luke Skywalker couldn't be late for class again, or else he would get detention. And he couldn't get detention. At least, that's what he chanted as he ran to school. He would like to say that he had never ran like this before, but this was his third time doing so. The third time he had a stitch in his side of this magnitude. The third time he would be chewed out by the attendance officer. And this time, she would probably make good on her promises of detention. He couldn’t get detention, Aunt Beru would kill him. Not to mention Uncle Owen.

       Just as Luke burst through the front door of the school, the dreaded bell rang. The attendance officer glared at him.

      “Late again, Skywalker?” she said, ice in her voice. _I don't think she enjoys her job,_ Luke thought.  

      “Listen, ma’am, I have a perfectly good explanation. There was this old lady and she needed help-“he was cut off by another shard of ice.

      “Do you _really_ expect me to believe such drivel?” she asked.

       And with that, she handed him a pink detention slip. “You should get to class. I’ll see you after school: room 708”

       Luke sighed and headed down to his first bell, pink slip in hand.

oO0Oo

     With each _tick_ of the clock, Luke’s anxiety grew. He had been putting off texting his Aunt that he would be late getting home for the entire day. And now it was the final bell, and the announcements would start any second now. He tried to shift his focus to his math work, but he failed. Maybe because he had no idea how to solve any of the problems. He probably should've paid attention during class. Luke sighed and reluctantly pulled out his textbook just as the afternoon announcements started. He sighed again and packed up his stuff. At least today he didn't have to listen for bus changes.

     When the dismissal bell rang, Luke grabbed his bag and headed down to the unoccupied classroom that was used as the detention room. Detention used to be held in the library, but the school had to lay off several teachers so they had a few empty classrooms. They let the more studious students have the library.  Luke stopped outside the door for 708 to fire off a text to Aunt Beru explaining his situation, and then shut his phone off before she could reply.  

     He entered the sparsely decorated room and checked in with the teacher who had been assigned detention duty. They were reading a book and just gestured lazily to the rest of the room. The teacher mumbled something about taking a seat, never once looking up from their book. Luke surveyed the desks and their occupants. There were three other students in there. He vaguely recognized them. He knew the girl at the far right with the complicated braided hairstyle was on the debate team. The two to the far left were far more notorious around school. Last year the pair had stolen the answer keys for several finals and sold them for twenty dollars a copy. There was also a rumor that the tall, hairy, foreign exchange student half of the duo was a prince from a small European country. He didn't deny it, but then again, nobody except for his constant companion could understand his thick accent.

      Luke realized that he was standing around and moved to take a seat. Something about bad influences crossed his mind, so he decided to sit over by the girl. The girl shot him the iciest glare he had ever seen when he got close to her side. Luke decided to risk corrupting his tenuous innocence and sat by the pair.

      Written on the board was an arbitrary assignment designed to keep them out of trouble. And to make them reflect on their wrongdoings, but going on the pair’s lackadaisical manner, it probably wouldn't do much. Luke pulled out a sheet of paper and began to write anyways.

      “Hey, kid, watcha in for?” the shorter one muttered. He was leaning over, and staring at Luke. Luke glared at him and went back to work.

      “Name’s Han Solo. That one’s Chewie.” “Chewie” said something. He sounded vaguely offended. “He wants you to know that his full name is Chewbacca” Luke glared again.

       “We aren't supposed to be speaking.” He whispered harshly. Luke tried to make his glare icy like the girl’s but had a sinking suspicion that he looked ridiculous.

       “Aw, come on. Ol’ Ben won't notice if someone nuked our school.” Luke looked at the teacher and, sure enough, he was reading and wearing a pair of headphones.

       “My name’s Luke.”

       “Nice to meet you Luke. So tell me, what are you in for?” Han asked, a sly grin gracing his face. Luke’s glare returned.

        “Consecutively tardy for three days.” Luke wanted to disappear when Han started to look like he wanted to laugh.  Chewbacca said something and Han laughed, for real this time. The girl cast a stare at Han, and for a second, Luke thought she was going to say something.  She didn't though and Luke was starting wish she would.

        “Too busy helping little old ladies for school, huh?” Han said still laughing.

         “First of all, she almost dropped her grocerie- hey, how did you know that!” he was indignant and very afraid. If he knew this, what else did he know? What else _could_ this shady character know?

         “One of the office people is sweet on Chewie. Calm yourself.” Luke frowned. He was perfectly calm.

         “Hey, stop picking on the poor thing. He's done nothing to deserve it” the girl said heatedly. She startled Luke a bit, evident by the way he jumped a little. 

          “The princess speaks! And of course he's done something to deserve it; he's in here, isn't he?” Han was now speaking louder and louder and the girl was frowning more and more.

          “We aren't all scoundrels like you!”

          “What's wrong with a man trying to make a little money? After all, not everyone is the daughter of a senator.” Luke didn't know why the teacher hadn't said something yet. They were both yelling at this point.

          Chewbacca groaned and put his head down on the desk.

           “Does this happen often?” Luke asked. Chewbacca just nodded.

           “Stop calling me princess, asshole!” the girl yelled.

           “Ah yes, please accept my deepest apologies, O Lady Leia Organa, our most benevolent future leader!” Leia slammed her hand down on the desk. This finally drew the attention of the teacher. He snapped his book shut and stood up. Both Han and Leia sat down.

           “Solo! Organa! Three extra days the both of you!” The two both had shocked expressions.

           “But Mr. Kenobi, the debate tournament is tomorrow and-“

           “Maybe you should've considered that before you back-talked a teacher and picked a fight with Mr. Solo.”

           “Han was the one picking on the poor kid. And it's not my fault the teacher was _wrong.”_ Luke had never more wanted to be invisible.

           “Ms. Organa, _please_ do not force me to contact your parents on behalf of the school.” This shut her down. Leia slunk down into seat, defeated.

            The rest of the detention hour was spent in an uncomfortable, tense silence.  

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2 - It's All a Game of This or That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more detention and a tense lunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to post every Wednesday!

 

Luke didn't know what to expect when he showed up for the next day of detention. But, if he was going to bet, he'd bet on continued icy silence. After Mr. Kenobi chewed them out, Luke didn't think that they were going to do anything. At least, that’s what he hoped.

     When he walked into class the first thing he noticed was that they had taken up the previous seating arrangement. Kind of. Han was missing, but Chewie was there. Luke felt awkward, as once again, he didn't know where to sit. He didn't have to worry for long though.

     “Luke, right? You don't have to sit over there again. Sit by me.” Leia said, not caring that the teacher was right there. Maybe because she already had her sentence extended. While pondering the possibilities, Luke crossed the classroom to sit in the desk next to her. Now that she was closer, he could and that she really was quite beautiful. She had thick, chocolatey hair that was woven into a braid that went along the bottom half of her head.Her eyes were dark brown and sort of matched her hair. Her face was eerily familiar though. Han said something about her being a senator’s daughter, so maybe Luke saw her on TV one time.

       “I thought that for tardies that you only received one day of detention?” Leia asked, curiosity ringing in her voice.

       “I guess there was a problem with people getting too many tardies, so they had to raise the punishment? I don't really know.” Luke answered. Leia shrugged and turned to her work, apparently satisfied with his flimsy answer.

        Luke was about to start on his own work when the door opened and Han Solo quietly tiptoed in. He was half way into his seat when Mr. Kenobi looked up.

        “Glad you could join us, Mr. Solo. I hope you didn't expect to be able to sneak in and avoid getting your detention extended?” the old man asked.

         “Of course not, sir. I would never do something like that.” The two stared at each other. Luke was reminded of how dogs make eye contact to establish dominance.

          “I’ll see you on Saturday, Mr. Solo.” Han sighed and stared at his desk. He began tapping his desk with pencil. Leia began muttering insults under her breath. The tension in the room became toxic. Luke wished to be anywhere but in that room with them.  Han started tapping his foot in conjunction with the pencil. Leia looked like she was going to hit him. Even Chewbacca looked a bit annoyed.

         “Can you stop? It's incredibly distracting.”Leia looked over at Han, her cold glare reaching liquid nitrogen levels.

         “Oh, sorry to interrupt your _incredibly_ important work, _sweetheart_.” His trademark sly grin was slyer than ever. Chewbacca groaned and put his head down. Luke did he same.

         “Excuse me?”

oO0Oo

          Luke was glad to leave detention with the knowledge that he would never have to deal with the two again.

oO0Oo

         _What did I do to deserve this,_ Luke thought as he tried to enjoy his sandwich over the bickering coming from both sides. How this happened, he wasn't entirely certain. All he knew was that Han and Chewbacca came over to discuss a “business venture”, when Leia appeared and accused Han of “trying to corrupt Luke”. Somehow they both started to eat lunch while arguing about whether or not Han was a disgraceful scoundrel.

          Luke tried to drown out the two by focusing on his sandwich. His Aunt Beru made it; a casual gesture that meant a lot to him. Not to mention Uncle Owen picked up some extra hours at the factory, so they splurged and got a ham to roast. It was big enough so that they ate well at dinner and had some leftover. Luke winced a bit with guilt when he realized that  with the amount of meat in the sandwich that Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen wouldn't get as much of the leftover ham. He frowned, Aunt Beru didn't have to do that. He would just have to savor it more.

          “WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN, SOLO?” Leia yelled, making Luke drop his sandwich on the cafeteria floor. Luke’s eyes widen in shock as he bent down to pick up that sandwich. _If it just hit the floor, I can just brush it off and it'll be fine,_ Luke thought. He picked up the sandwich and reluctantly looked under it. Chewed up gum. Of course. Luke could deal with having the two argue in detention, but for them to _invade_ his personal space- that was a something different. And goddamn it, he was going to say something.

          “Uh, hey can you two not yell? I just dropped my lunch because of it.” Ok, not as intimidating as he intended, but it did the job.

          “Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Here have half of mine.” Leia pushed her Tupperware container towards Luke. Inside was some kind of light brown thing with a sickly green sauce.

         “It’s tofu with banana-spinach sauce.”she said brightly. More than anything, Luke was confused by the strange dish. _Why would anybody pair spinach and bananas?_

         “Don't feed the kid that shit. He can eat some of mine.” Han handed him half of a chicken salad sandwich. Luke gratefully accepted. He was adventurous, but not exactly keen to mess with his meat-and-instant-potatoes diet.

          Leia scowled and sighed.

          “Shit, I don't want to have to eat all this.” She forced a plastic sporkful of the concoction into her mouth with a grimace. Han, Luke, and Chewbacca looked at her in confusion. She sighed again.

          “My Mom decided that she need to eat healthier. She also decided to make it a family thing.” Han nodded his head in sympathy.

          “One time, I stayed with a family that ate vegan. It was hell.”Han shuddered at the memory.

          “They were nice though, so not all bad.” Chewbacca nodded his head, and said something.

          “Chewie says that one time, he and his family were backpacking in the Alps and they lived off granola for a week.” Han translated for the group. Leia smiled and giggled a bit.

          “So are you guys going to help me eat this or not?” she said. Han winked.

           “Anything for a pretty lady.” Leia rolled her eyes.

           “If you weren’t helping me with this, I would punch you for saying such a slimy thing.” They both glared at each other and ate the health food in silence

The bell rang, interrupting their game of see-who-could-out-silence-the-other, and the group got up to leave for classes.

oO0Oo

          Whenever Luke rides home on the bus he studies the neighborhoods they pass through. His school was one of those lucky schools that encompassed two separate parts of town. The easiest way to sum it up would be “the poor half” and “the rich half.” Both sides had their own amenities, so they rarely mixed. Except for students at school.

         It was pretty easy to figure out who belonged to where. The “rich” kids wore nice watches and got rides home. They favored delicate materials for their clothing; materials that required rigorous upkeep.The “poor” kids wore clothes that were durable and had splashes bright colors. Cotton and old denim were common. They all rode the bus home if they didn't need to get to an after school job.

         His bus had to pass through one of the nicer neighborhoods to get to his neighborhood. He looked out at the well manicured, multi-storied houses and wondered if Leia lived in one of them. She obviously came from money, so if she didn't live in one of these, she probably lived in a very similar one. Luke thought about how simple it was to judge which side of the district a person came from; based just on what they were wearing.

         He thought about how easy it would be to classify Leia and him as different from each other. Luke often wore slim cut, faded blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a bright red letterman jacket. He was quite proud of the jacket, it was a gift from an ex-boyfriend on the football team who moved away. Leia had probably never worn a hand-me-down before though. She usually wore dark, designer skinny jeans with a tank top made out of some sort of delicate material, covered with a soft cardigan.

         And even though Luke and Leia were from opposite ends of the spectrum, he felt like he _knew_ her. Like they were connected somehow.

        Maybe tomorrow at lunch he would track her down and try to get to know her better. Maybe.

 

 

 

h

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol sorry if I rambled i was being angsty because one of my classmates was complaining that his mom wouldn't buy him one hundred dollar flipflops (????? why) in the middle of winter


	3. Chapter 3 - Better Off Against Worse For Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> car trouble and fake coke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for late update; finals kicked my ass   
> also heads up this chapter has some cussing

Luke hated his locker. It was old and barely functional. The door was almost off the hinges. But it held his books, so Luke wasn't able to get a change. Luke was trying to shut it gently when a hand on his shoulder spooked him and made him slam it shut.

       “Hey, Luke, how’s it going?” It was Han and Chewbacca. Luke was surprised, but a bit concerned about what the less-than-reputable person wanted.

        “What do you need, Han?” he glowered.

        “Is that the way you greet all your friends?” Luke tried to say that they were acquaintances at best, but Han cut him off.

        “Anyways, I need your help. Do you know anything about cars?”

oO0Oo

        Later after school Luke walked to Han’s apartment. The complex wasn't that far from where he lived, so he was able to make good time. Luke wondered why he was helping Han. He didn't know that much about him; he didn't even like him that much. But something told him that he should help Han. Luke had a good history of trusting his instincts, so he felt confident walking to the address Han had hastily scribble in Luke's math notebook.

       Han’s apartment building was a large brick structure, surrounded on all sides by dying grass and dying trees. At first glance it looked emotionless and bleak, but further scrutiny revealed snatched bits of personality. It was like the building realized that it was nothing, so it took bits of the residents’ character. _I am not empty by the virtue of those living inside me,_ it seemed to say. Some of the balconies had flowerpots filled with all the colors on the spectrum. Others had clothes drying on makeshift line. And you could see that in one apartment someone put Christmas lights in the window. The bits of all the people gave off an effect that reminded Luke of a formerly wealthy person vainly covering themselves in jewels, so that they can persuade those around them that they still have possession of their antiquated grandeur. It was charming in an odd way.

         Luke spotted Han standing by an old, beat up car with the hood popped. It might've been dark grey long ago, but time has faded the paint to lighter, morbid shade. There were long scratches across the sides, and occasional dents. Time had not been kind. Luke was amazed that a car in this condition was still running.

        “Is this the car you need help with?” Luke inquired. “‘Cause if I'm going to be honest, it looks like you should just scrap it.” Han frowned. His posture tightened up and he glared at Luke.

         “Watch what you say kid, this car got through the Kessel run in less then twelve seconds.” He said, hints of pride in his voice. Luke cocked an eyebrow.

          “In this condition?” Han frowned again. Luke crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels; he was confident he won this one.

           “She's still fast enough to run you down in this condition.” Han retorted. Luke rolled his eyes and moved to inspect the car’s internal organs. His brow creased as he looked for problems, but he couldn't find anything.

           “Hey can you tell me what going on again?” he asked, hoping that it would shed some light.

           “There's this weird clanging noise whenever I start her up. She still runs fine, but I want to keep it that way, ya know?” Han replied. Luke nodded. He poked around some more, but still couldn't find anything. He cocked his head back as an idea struck him. Luke crawled into the front seat and banged the dashboard a couple of times. Han looked at him with confusion. He pushed Luke out and started the car. It ran well; unfettered by the clanging noise. Luke responded with a wide smile.

            “This is how we used to fix the tractors, back when we lived on the farm.”

           Han stared at him.

           “Are you comparing the _Millennium Falcon_ to a _tractor_?” Han said, incredulously.

           “Let's just focus on the fact that I fixed it.” Luke replied. Han smirked, then let out a loud, booming laugh.

            “I like how you work kid! Hey, do want a drink?” Luke nodded and Han disappeared into the building. Luke sat on the ground, back against the car, and waited for Han to return. Luke was glad that he decided to come. Han wasn't so bad when he wasn't arguing with Leia.

             “I hope you like Coke.” Han tossed him an off-brand can. Luke caught it with a smile.

              “I actually prefer meth.” Han rolled his eyes.                   

               “One more joke like that and I'll kick you out.” It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes. The two sat in silence, backs against the car, watching the October sun sink into the horizon and drinking fake Coke.

               “Hey, Han?” Luke asked, a question weighing on his mind.

               “Yeah, kid?”

                “Why did you ask for my help?” Han shifted his weight and looked up, looking at the sky as if the streaks of color had better words than he did.

               “Well, Chewie had family stuff and I, uh, don't really have a lot of other friends.” Luke nodded, he didn't really think that they were friends before this, but he didn't have any regrets. He didn't think of himself as the type to hold regrets.

               But then again, nobody really did.

oO0Oo

              

                                         The next day during lunch, Han and Chewbacca sat with him again. Luke was a little surprised, but managed to make conversation with the duo.

                   They were arguing about whether or not the _Millennium Falcon_ could outlast a horse, when Leia staggered towards their table. She looked like she hadn't slept in a week. Her braid was falling out and her normally professional look was replaced with leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. She dumped her messenger bag on the table and dropped her body into the seat next to Luke, and put her head down. The boys all looked concerned and vaguely frightened.

                   Luke tapped her shoulder. “Hey, Leia are you ok?”He inquired, concern lacing his voice. Leia groaned in response. Luke, Han, and Chewbacca shared a look. Han prodded her shoulder.

                   “Something going on?” he asked. Chewbacca said something unintelligible, but comforting.

                   Leia shifted her head up. “Why would you care?” Han looked offended.

                   “Well excuse me for showing a little concern when someone collapses at my lu-“

                  “Whatever, it doesn't matter.” And with that she put her back down. Han leaned back, his feathers ruffled.

                  “Listen, I don't know where you came from, but where I come from we don't just collapse at lunch tables and don't tell people what's wrong!” Han was leaning forward, and Leia had lifted her head, her eyes meeting his. Luke felt awkward and out of place.

                  Leia sat up and leaned back on her chair. “Well if you really want to know, I was up all night fixing some fuckwad’s mistakes. I mean, they're in AP History, you would think they would know how to make a goddamned power point right.” She put her head back down. Han looked taken aback. He the leaned forward and smirked.

                  “Never knew you had a mouth on ya.” Leia didn't respond. The silence festered for awhile. The boys went back to debating about horses and the _Millennium Falcon._

                  Han was insisting that the horse would have to eat _eventually when_ a phone went off.

                  “Oh that's mine.” Leia said and lazily dug it out of her bag. She read the message on the screen and groaned again.

                  “My dad got held up, so I have no ride, unless I want to stay after.”Han shrugged.

                  “So ride the bus.”

                  “I live in Rain Tree” Han snorted. Rain Tree the most affluent of the affluent. A gated community on the outskirts of town. All the kids who lived there had rides or carpooled. The school had to know a week ahead if someone needed a bus.

                  “Looks like the princess is stranded. But hey- if you're desperate you could ride with me.” Seeing Leia's grimace he added, “If you're uncomfortable Luke can ride with us.” Leia looked at Luke. Luke shrugged.

                  “I gotta pick up some power converters at the hardware store, so...”

                   “It's on the way. It’ll work” Han replied. Leia nodded.

                   “I'll see you guys later then.” With that parting statement, the bell rang.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have this head cannon where leia cusses   
> also why did i try to write a car scene that was dumb

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, so sorry for all the mistakes. I'm mostly posting to receive feedback on my writing, so please review if you can!


End file.
